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George Niebauer’s original 1/2A
Berryloid was designed in 1937
specifi cally for the 1938 Nationals
Berryloid Best Finish event. George’s
model placed third.
The original Berryloid had a 6.5-foot
wingspan, was powered by a Brown Jr.
engine, and weighed less than 5 pounds.
It had a silk covering and six coats of
Berry Brothers red dope, sprayed on
and rubbed down with Berry Brothers
rubbing compound.
Sixty years later, George felt the time
was right to resurrect his old model. He
had no plans and the original aircraft
no longer existed, but with a little
recollection, a few black-and-white
snapshots, and a photocopier, he put it
together with some minor changes.
George photocopied the formers and
oiled the side view of the fuselage using
a hot-iron-and-thinner method of image
transfer. He split it down the center after
cutting it out.
George completed the fi rst fuselage
half, removed it, fl ipped the plans over
and installed the formers as on the fi rst
half, then glued the halves together.
Reminiscing brings back the 1938
1/2A Berryloid
The pylon was a block of 4- to
6-pound balsa, sawed in half vertically,
and glued together with paper between.
The soft balsa tail block was of lesser
density than the pylon block to prevent
problems with weight at the aft end. It
was also cut in half vertically and glued
together.
The stabilizer mount was cut from hard
1/16 balsa and glued to the curve made
when the side view was cut to shape. A 1°
negative incidence was built in.
The tail wheel pod was lightweight
balsa. George froze the plastic wheels
then sanded them to a 21/2-inch
diameter. The hubs were cut from soda
can bottoms.
A lightweight empennage was
important. The stabilizer was of
conventional construction. The fi n had
laminated edges and the wing had a
laminated TE from the tip to the center
section. The DT limit line could be
made from heavy monofi lament fi shing
line, lightweight braided metal fi shing
leader, or wire such as CL leadout
material.
George noted that the model should
be balanced at 35%, approximately 47/8
inches ahead of the TE. The 1/8-inch
washin was built into the port tip.
The Berryloid’s fi rst fl ight had a rich
needle-valve setting and went out of
sight. “Succeeding fl ights improved
with a leaner needle-valve setting, but
the climbout was too dramatic for 1/2A
Texaco competition,” George said. “It
should be tamed down for maximum
performance in that event.”
The 1938 1/2A Berryloid was featured
in the September 1998 MA as AMA
Plans Service listing 861 and is available
for $14 plus shipping and handling.
AMA members can access MA’s Digital
Library on the magazine’s website to
read more about it. See page 148 or go
to www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx for
ordering information.
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 95
AMAe lPeLcAtNrSic SsERVICE SHOWCASE
To order the featured plans, see page 148,
or visit www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx.
095_MA0713_PlansShowcase.indd 95 5/24/13 9:27 AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/07
Page Numbers: 95
